The Hungry Thirties Flashcards
How many were unemployed by the end of 1931?
Over 3 million
Who replaced Ramsay MacDonald as head of the National Government? When?
Stanley Baldwin replaced MacDonald in 1935. He stayed in this role until 1937
What was Neville Chamberlain’s nickname and why?
He was widely known as the Coroner because he smiled so rarely
Who wrote ‘Love on the Dole’?
Walter Greenwood
Who wrote ‘The Road to Wigan Pier?’
George Orwell
What is a quote about unemployment from Walter Greenwood’s ‘Love on the Dole’
‘A living corpse; a unit of the special army of three million lost men’
What is a quote about the state of Wigan from George Orwell’s private diary?
‘I thought how dreadful a destiny it was to be kneeling in the gutter in a back alley in Wigan’
What did Chamberlain think about Keynesian ideas?
He thought these sorts of ideas were irresponsible and radical and opposed government employing men on large scale public works projects
What was the Special Areas Act?
Only provided £2 million of aid to a select few highly depressed areas. Many badly affected communities neglected.
How much did the US spend on government aid?
$41.7 billion as part of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’
What did the government do that angered working classes?
The government urged them to move away and find work in new locations or sectors of the economy. This would mean they’d have to move away from their homes, their regional cultures and their skills in specific professions. To them, the government was simply consciously choosing not to help
What was life like for those still employed?
- Purchasing power increased
- Most of the middle and a good proportion of the working class were gradually more prosperous in the 30s
- Some working class could even move up into the middle class
